A Bird in the Hand: And the Stories Behind 250 Other Common ExpressionsRecounts the origins of more than 250 common phrases used in everyday speech, providing the complete stories of how the expressions came into use. |
From inside the book
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Page 101
... king Ahasuerus ruled at Susa and his queen was the beautiful Vashti . It was the seventh day of a lavish stag party where the king was entertaining the no- blemen and chieftains of his realm . After six days of open bar , every- one was ...
... king Ahasuerus ruled at Susa and his queen was the beautiful Vashti . It was the seventh day of a lavish stag party where the king was entertaining the no- blemen and chieftains of his realm . After six days of open bar , every- one was ...
Page 120
... king that he issue an edict prohibiting for thirty days any person in the kingdom to pray to any god other than the king himself . Not immune to flattery , the king issued the edict , giving it the force of law . The schemers insisted ...
... king that he issue an edict prohibiting for thirty days any person in the kingdom to pray to any god other than the king himself . Not immune to flattery , the king issued the edict , giving it the force of law . The schemers insisted ...
Page 186
... king who spoke French and German , but not English . A resident of continental Europe , and not even a British citizen , the throne of England became his by inheritance ( his mother was the granddaughter of James I , British king from ...
... king who spoke French and German , but not English . A resident of continental Europe , and not even a British citizen , the throne of England became his by inheritance ( his mother was the granddaughter of James I , British king from ...
Common terms and phrases
Aegean Sea Aesop Aladdin ancient appeared apple army arrow asked Asmodeus baby beautiful became began believed bird Bluebeard brother called century B.C. character creature dead death DRIVE LIKE JEHU enemy Epimetheus Eurystheus expression eyes father fight gave girl give goddess goose Greek Greek mythology hand heard heaven Heracles Hercules Hermes Hippomenes horse human Jehu Jesus Judas killed king known land language later lived looked Malaprop married meaning mighty monkey mountain never night Odysseus Orpheus Othello palace Penelope Persians person Philistines poem Pollyanna Procrustes Prometheus quickly Quisling River Roman Romeo Rube Goldberg Samson Scythian ship Solomon someone sometimes somewhere soon speech stone stood story strange tale tell things told took Trojan Trojan War Troy turned Uriah Heep wanted wife wish woman women word young Zeus